The Yangpu International Container Terminal, located in south China's Hainan Province. (Photo by CCTV)

On the morning of April 17th, the "Xin Haikou" (New Haikou) container-ship departed from Yangpu International Container Terminal with a full load of goods heading for  Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Port. The establishment of the first direct route from Hainan to the Middle East will bring new vitality to the Chinese province's route network.

In the initial stage, a 4250 TEU container ship will operate between ports in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia such as Abu Dhabi and Dammam. While meeting the demand for transporting local PET, paper products, and other goods from Hainan to the Middle East, it will also expand the port's market and consolidate Yangpu Port's role as a key hub for regional container port construction.

Simultaneously celebrating the 40th anniversary of China-UAE friendly cooperation, the opening of this route marks a breakthrough in maritime trade between Hainan and the Middle East, and reflects the proactive efforts of various shipping elements to push forward the construction of a sister port relationship between Khalifa and Yangpu.

So far, Yangpu has established 23 domestic and 24 international container routes, covering major coastal ports in China and Southeast Asia, and reaching West Asia, the Indian Ocean, Oceania, West Africa, and South America. The further densification and improvement of the route network will support the construction of the Yangpu International Shipping Hub along the Western Land-Sea New Corridor.